Inspiring Accounting Talent for a Sustainable Society (iat4ss) is a nonprofit educational organization (501(c)(3) with the mission of providing an educational and developmental program leading to CPA licensure. The program is intended to augment the traditional accounting education at community colleges, historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal institutions and other universities to assist underrepresented/underserved Americans in becoming certified public accountants (CPAs) and starting successful careers in the accounting profession. The iat4ss program is unique in that it (1) leverages technology to reach a critical mass of motivated students to excite them about the accounting profession, (2) vertically integrates CPA exam material into contextualized courses and “soft” skills workshops throughout the program, and (3) provides students with scholarship to make it all possible. iat4ss addresses the root causes of the lack of diversity in the accounting profession and through collaboration with key stakeholders is developing a systemic sustainable educational model for underserved Americans to successfully enter the accounting profession.   

Inspiring Accounting Talent for a Sustainable Society (iat4ss) was organized as a result of the "Roundtable on Building a Sustainable Diverse Pipeline of Accounting Professionals for the 21st Century" held in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Roundtable identified issues starting from K-12 and moving to community college, four-year college and graduate school to finally passing the CPA exam and entering the profession. The organization was formed with the purpose to identify, create, promote, financially support and deploy opportunities to develop underrepresented (underserved) persons by developing accounting curriculum, expanding scholarship and internship opportunities that are essential to creating a new and meaningful perception of the accounting profession.